It had been a few days since their flight from the ruins, Russet Fawn, a young strawberry Roan doe laid in her clearing once more. She didn't think her hooves could ever run that fast again. The spry Jack Hop that had come to be her companion sat looking down at her as if she had done something wrong. Well not really wrong, more like asking if she were going to ever get up and do something that day or wait for another to go past. In truth, Fawn was more then ready for another to just drift aside. She really had no ambition to leave where she was laying to do anything at all.
"Fawn, you have been laying here for three days. This is seriously unhealthy for you." the Jack hop said thumping a foot. "You need to get up and do something with yourself. What would your friends say?"
This brought laughter from the doe as he mentioned friends. Did she even have any? She had 'met' so many, but those were just quick hellos and quicker good-byes. She wouldn't really call any of them her friends. Opening and eye she looked up that Talltale, soon rolling onto her stomach and folding her legs beneath her. In this position she was a bit taller then him and looked down.
"What makes you think those others are my friends? No one has really talked to me since meeting." She said pointedly. "Besides the only one that was really, remotely friendly was that one buck. What was his name? The one that we met in the barrens the first time I was trying to sprout something."
She had to think back to that day, it seemed so long ago now that she had nearly forgotten. That buck was a dark colored one, rather warm in the barrens with a coat like his. Closing an eye and looked towards the sky with the other in thought. She tried to remember, his name was there, but just out of reach.
"Miros.." Talltale said rubbing his face with a paw. "His name was Miros. He seemed like he really wanted to be your friend, even though you had only met him once."
Fawn gave a small nod, it was true that the buck was really friendly. Most those that had been at the river that day were kinda friendly? She hadn't really talked to too many that were there. There was Krima, another doe with the gift of Atmos. A water bringer Fawn had thought of them. Where she was a plant popped. That meeting hadn't exactly gone the way that they had all imagined. Just one large group of Nouls who didn't know anyone and it was rather awkward...
"He might have been the only one. All those others didn't seem to want to really make friends. Gossip maybe, but that was about it. It as just an awkward time standing there at the river." Fawn said frowning, all these faces and not a one to really look to for anything.
"Don't forget the one you just fled the ruins with. He was a young buck, but he seemed nice too." Talltale pointed out.
Ah yes, that one. Now there was a name she really couldn't remember. It was so recent and things happened so quickly that his name really spilled her mind. Having remained in the Ruins to delve a little deeper and plant a few more sprouts, they had come across another buck. This one was young, though his body was that of an adults, his mind was not. They had taken flight through the ruins back to Homewood as something chased them.
Fawn never really knew what it was, nor did she think she wanted to go back and find out. That place was already dangerous enough without things talking you in the shadows. The quakes had been enough to forbid the place. Shaking her head, Fawn cleared the images away of what ever that strange shadow had been. She didn't want to dwell on the ideas of it following them into Homewood and finding where she lived. A shiver ran through her as something rustled the leaves on the far side of her clearing.
Both heads turned at the sound as another Jack Hop came into sight then left again. Nerves that were on edge eased again as it wasn't anything too frightening. Fawn and Talltale both looked at each other as if they both had had the same thought. Her ears flicked slightly trying to hear if there was anything else around. Everything was quiet for the most part, besides those moving around hunting for things to eat. Shaking her head, Fawn finally got up and moved towards the opposite side of the clearing.
"I think we should find another place to live..." She said out of the blue looking around.
Many memories lingered here, but none were holding her to the spot. Her father had found the spot and they had called it home, but there was little here to take. Really nothing cause they didn't have material items. Talltale just blinked at the doe at her mention of leaving. He had dig out his burrow and now he was going to have to dig out a new one? Really?
"Why?" he asked not really understanding.
"Because who knows if that thing followed us here. And there is little shelter here..."
She looked around again, they were very open here. While there were thick bushes around the place, there was little place to hide inside it. If there were a spot she might have felt better? Then again she didn't like having anything over head that could fall on her... Not after the quake had taken her first home...
"We can at least look around. Not like we have anything to really move with us. Father never believed in having items to cart around."
Talltale sighed and hopped over to the doe and looked up at her, "Alright. But this place we find better be more shelter then the open, cold times come and you will freeze to death."
He pointed out and she nodded. If she could get over her fear of closed places she could handle having some sort of shelter. If anything, maybe they could construct something from the plants around them. There was that too, even if the shelter was enough to keep elements off her. Giving her body a shake, Fawn headed out of her old home and deeper into Homewood, towards the bog.
It took most of the day to reach the area of the forest where the trees towered into the skies. Their trunks were larger then she was, she hadn't seen anything so huge. Stopping before one of the larger of the trees, her eyes wide as she looked up at it. It certainly made her feel small in this large forest. She wasn't too sure what these trees were, but they were larger then the ones she was used to seeing. Even the ground around them hosted large fern like plants to hide large roots that reached deep for water. Fawn had to wonder how long a tree like this had been here to reach such growth.
"These things are huge!" She said before looking at Talltale who only nodded. "This might be a good place to look, or at least start..."
Talltale was at a loss for words as he sat on Fawn's back watching the trees as she walked through them. The further through them the larger they seemed to get. Also the more spaced out, there was also the smell that was wafting through the trees from the bog. Almost gagging on the rotting smell, Fawn turned around and headed back. She wasn't ready to take on that today. Nor did she really want to find out what was rotting, one thing to a time...
"This place seems nice and all, but where are we going to find shelter? These trees don't look like they would make good homes..." he looked around. "All look strong and stable..."
Fawn nodded as she agreed before she spotted one that was leaning on others, its roots pulled from the ground. The roots themselves had made a sort of wall, it didn't look like much at all to be fair. Sighing, it didn't seem like they would find a place here to make a new home. Well, it was a good try for the most part... Right?
"Well, guess this was a bust of an idea." Fawn said sadly, it did seem like a dead end here. There might have been other places, but the sun was already setting and it was getting even too late to head back to the clearing.
"Don't be too discouraged, it was a nice thought." Talltale tried to be encouraging, but he too wasn't feeling very joyful, it was more to sleeping outside and not in his burrow. "Maybe when the sunrises again we can have a better look around."
Fawn only nodded as she made her way over to the leaning tree and curled up beneath it at the point where it nearly reached the ground. The close space did make her want to not be there, but it was better then nothing at all. With Talltale nestled in her tail, Fawn drifted off to an uneasy sleep for that night...
WC: 1571
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